The association between Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, health access, and mental health: the role of discrimination, medical mistrust, and stigma

Abstract

Objective: There are approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US, including 1.3 million young adults who are eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. It is unclear how DACA influences engagement in healthcare or depressive symptoms, and the role of discrimination, medical mistrust, and stigma in healthcare settings. This study assesses the association of DACA on undocumented young adults' engagement with health care and depressive symptoms.

Design: We conducted an internet-based survey examining the health-related experiences of undocumented Latino and Asians and Pacific Islander (API) young adults in California (n = 218) between June and August 2017. Multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to assess the influence of DACA, discrimination, medical mistrust, and stigma on healthcare engagement and depressive symptoms.

Results: Approximately 78% of respondents had a gap in healthcare, and about 31% reported high levels of depressive symptoms. Controlling for demographic characteristics, compared to those without DACA, DACA-recipients had lower odds of reporting gaps in healthcare engagement (aOR = 0.270, p < 0.05) and depressive symptoms (aOR = 0.115, p < 0.01). Those facing discrimination, medical mistrust, and stigma in healthcare settings were less likely to have a healthcare visit and more likely to have higher depressive symptoms.

Conclusions: DACA is a potential strategy to improve healthcare access and address the mental health of undocumented populations. In particular, issues of discrimination, stigma by healthcare providers, and medical mistrust need to be addressed.

Keywords: DACA; Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals; Immigration; discrimination; healthcare access; immigrant; medical mistrust; mental health; policies; stigma; undocumented immigration.